Name Ant
Size
3-5mm
(approximately)
Predators
Worms, other insects and spiders.
and Threats
Diet
Small insects, fruit seeds, ripe fruit and anything
sweet.
Habitat Gardens, under brick and stones.
Lifespan Workers 1-2 years, Queens up to 28 years.
• Ants are extremely strong and can lift things
several times their own weight.
• A colony will contain thousands of workers.
Interesting Facts
• Scientists estimate that ants lived alongside the
dinosaurs 130 million years ago, in the early
Cretaceous period.
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Name Barnacle
Size
Up to 15mm
(approximately)
Predators
Whelks, Sea slugs and other sea creatures.
and Threats
Diet Plankton.
Habitat Rocky shores.
Lifespan Up to 8 years.
• Barnacles undergo metamorphosis, like a butterfly.
• Larvae hatch from the egg, with three pairs of legs,
one pair of antennae and one eye.
Interesting Facts • They go through six different moultings until they form
a kind of cocoon, called a cypris.
• The cypris finds a rock to attach to, near another
barnacle, and the adult barnacle emerges.
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Name Bee
Size
12-20mm
(approximately)
Predators Wasps and small mammals. Under threat from changes
and Threats in the environment.
Diet Pollen and nectar from flowering plants.
Habitat
Gardens and open areas with lots of flowering plants
and hollow trees to nest in.
Lifespan Workers and Drones a few weeks, Queens 3-4 years.
• There are 3 castes of honeybee, the female workers
and queens and the male drones. The workers and the
queens have stingers, but the drones do not.
• The queens' eggs develop into females, and the
Interesting Facts
workers' eggs develop into males.
• The eggs that are going to become queens are put into
larger cells in the honeycomb and fed on royal jelly,
produced by the workers.
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Name Beetle
Size
1-20cm
(approximately)
Predators
Insects, birds, garden creatures.
and Threats
Diet Insects, dust and dung.
Habitat Land and freshwater.
Lifespan A few weeks up to 3 years.
• Many species of beetle have horns.
• Dung beetles live on dung.
• One in every four animals on earth is a beetle.
Interesting Facts • There are at least 3,500 species of beetle and some
scientists think there may be 3 million different species.
• Beetles have been on earth for at least 270 million
years.
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Name Butterfly
Size
6mm-30cm
(approximately)
Predators Mammals, insects, birds. Under threat from loss of
and Threats habitat and environmental change.
Diet
Plants. The caterpillar eats leaves. Adult butterflies drink
nectar.
Habitat Gardens, meadows, near flowering plants.
Lifespan 2 weeks to a year.
• Butterflies have taste receptors on their feet, so they
taste the plants as they land on them.
• They cannot chew food as their mouth parts, called a
Interesting Facts
proboscis, work like a drinking straw.
• Butterflies sip water from puddles to get minerals and
salts they cannot get from nectar.
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Name Centipede
Size
5mm-30cm
(approximately)
Predators
Small mammals, bird and toads.
and Threats
Diet Insects, spiders and other small invertebrates.
Habitat Stones, bark and ground litter in gardens.
Lifespan 2-3 years.
• Although centipede means 100 legs, most centipedes
have far fewer.
• There are 44 species of centipede in the UK.
Interesting Facts • Centipedes can move backwards as quickly as they
can move forwards.
• Centipedes paralyse their prey with venom from their
claws, before eating them.
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Name Coral
Size Individual polyps are 3-56mm but reefs can be over
(approximately) 1,000 miles long.
Sea Fish. Under threat from human activities, such as
Predators
fishing, as well as disease and changes in sea
and Threats
temperature.
Diet Plankton and small fish.
Habitat Tropical Waters.
Lifespan 2 years to hundreds of years.
• Coral reefs are formed from the skeletons of individual
polyps.
• Each Coral polyp is tiny, but they form massive
Interesting Facts structures.
• The Great Barrier Reef can even be seen from space.
• Coral Reefs cover less than 2% of the ocean floor but
are home to about one quarter of all ocean species.
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Name Crab
Size
8-9cm
(approximately)
Predators
Cod, other sea fish and large sea birds
and Threats
Diet Shellfish, fish and other sea creatures.
Habitat Shoreline and estuaries.
Lifespan 6-10 years.
• The Common Shore Crab has to shed its shell and
grow a new one once or twice a year.
• During this time it is known as a "peeler" and is often
Interesting Facts used as bait by anglers.
• The crab will eat pretty much any animal matter that it
can find on the seabed, including other Common Shore
Crabs!
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Name Crayfish
Size
16cm
(approximately)
Predators Otters, salmon and eels. Native species under threat
and Threats from Crayfish plague, carried by the Signal Crayfish.
Diet Fish, frogs, insects and plants.
Habitat Freshwater rivers and streams.
Lifespan Up to 20 years.
• Crayfish are nocturnal.
• They move by walking along the river bed and, if it
needs to, a crayfish can walk overland to get to a new
waterway.
Interesting Facts • The Signal Crayfish gets its name because of its bright
red claws. Signal Crayfish were imported from America
for farming, but have escaped into the wild and taken
over from the native Crayfish because they are bigger
and more ferocious.
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Name Cricket
Size
3-50mm
(approximately)
Predators
Birds, reptiles and small mammals
and Threats
Diet Decaying plant materials, fungi and seedlings.
Habitat Under rocks in fields and meadows.
Lifespan A year.
• Male crickets make chirping sounds by rubbing their
wings together.
• Crickets chirp faster in warmer temperatures.
Interesting Facts
• You can work out the temperature in centigrade by
counting the number of chirps in 25 seconds, dividing
that by 3 and then adding 4.
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Name Daddy long-legs (Harvestman)
Size
16mm
(approximately)
Predators
Birds and spiders.
and Threats
Diet Plants.
Habitat Farmland, grassland, gardens and houses.
Lifespan About a year.
• Gardeners don't like Daddy long-legs much, as the
larvae live underground and eat the roots and stems of
plants.
• Although they look similar to spiders and are from the
Interesting Facts
same family, the arachnid family, Daddy Long Legs are
not spiders.
• They do not spin webs and they have three body
segments, while spiders have two.
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Name Dragonfly
Size
50mm - 85mm in the UK
(approximately)
Predators
Fish and birds.
and Threats
Diet Flying insects,and even smaller dragonflies.
Habitat Birds, spiders and frogs.
Lifespan
6 months to 7 years, but probably only a couple of
weeks as an adult.
• In prehistoric times, dragonflies were much bigger and
were actually the largest flying insects ever.
• Dragonflies do not live very long once they become
adults. Most of their lifespan is spent as larvae under
Interesting Facts
the water.
• Many dragonflies die from starvation if the weather is
bad because they cannot fly and neither can the smaller
insects they feed on.
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Name Earthworm
Size
Up to 15cm
(approximately)
Predators
Birds.
and Threats
Diet Organic matter and rotting plants.
Habitat Soil.
Lifespan Up to 10 years.
• Gardeners like earthworms because they eat lots of
dead plant material and their burrows aerate the soil
and allow water to flow through it.
• Earthworms breathe through their skin so they have to
Interesting Facts come to the surface when it is raining or they might
drown.
• Earthworms are both male and female.
• If an earthworm is cut in half, the half with the saddle
will survive.
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Name Grasshopper
Size
10-19mm
(approximately)
Predators
Birds, frogs, spiders and snakes.
and Threats
Diet Grass.
Habitat Grass.
Lifespan Up to 10 months.
• Grasshopper's ears are in their bottoms!
• Grasshoppers "sing" by rubbing their legs against their
wings.
• The meadow grasshopper cannot fly.
Interesting Facts
• In some parts of the world grasshoppers are eaten by
humans.
• Grasshoppers have very strong back legs, which act
like a catapult to fling them into the air.
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Name Hermit Crab
Size
3-10cm
(approximately)
Predators
Sea fish, starfish, octopuses, and other sea creatures.
and Threats
Diet Dead and dying marine life and plankton.
Habitat Rocky and sandy shores and sea grass beds.
Lifespan 3-5 years.
• Hermit crabs do not have a shell of their own, so they
have to use the empty shells of other animals, usually
snails, whelks or periwinkles.
Interesting Facts • They have to find a new shell when they grow out of
their old one.
• Sometimes, if two hermit crabs meet, one will try to
steal the other one's shell.
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Name Jellyfish
Size
30-40mm
(approximately)
Predators
Sea Turtles and large fish.
and Threats
Diet Molluscs, crustaceans and worms.
Habitat Coastal waters.
Lifespan 6 months.
• Jellyfish can sting, so never touch them with bare
hands.
• They feed by stinging their prey and trapping them in
Interesting Facts mucus.
• Jellyfish can only travel upwards on their own and rely
on the tides and currents to move horizontally or to stay
suspended.
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Name Krill
Size
5cm
(approximately)
Predators Whales, birds, fish. Under threat from human activity
and Threats such as fishing and rising sea temperatures.
Diet Plankton.
Habitat Oceans.
Lifespan 2-6 years.
• There are thought to be more Krill than any other
species on earth.
Interesting Facts • They are the main part of the diet of hundreds of
different animals and are a crucial part of the food chain
in the oceans.
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Name Ladybird
Size
8-10mm
(approximately)
Predators Birds, spiders and some beetles. Native species under
and Threats threat from invading foreign species.
Diet Aphids and other small insects.
Habitat Hedges, trees, gardens.
Lifespan Up to a year.
• Ladybirds are brightly coloured to warn predators that
they taste terrible.
Interesting Facts
• When they are attacked they produce a substance
called ‘reflex blood’ which is toxic.
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Name Leech
Size
7mm-300mm
(approximately)
Predators
Fish and birds.
and Threats
Diet Blood and small aquatic animals.
Habitat
Freshwater, although a small number of species live in
the sea or on land.
Lifespan Up to 10 years
• Leeches have been used in medicine for thousands of
years.
• People believed that letting the leech suck your blood
Interesting Facts could cure many illnesses.
• Today they are used in surgery, not because they suck
blood, but because an enzyme in their saliva helps
blood flow and skin heal more easily.
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Name Lobster
Size
Up to 1 metre
(approximately)
Predators Large fish and humans. Under threat from fishing and
and Threats pollution.
Diet Fish, molluscs, algae and even other lobsters.
Habitat Oceans.
Lifespan 50 years.
• The largest lobster ever recorded was caught off the
coast of Canada in 1977 and weighed over 20kg. It was
Interesting Facts about 1 metre long and possibly 100 years old.
• Because they live on the bottom of the ocean, lobsters
rely on touch and vibration rather than vision.
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Name Mayfly
Size
2.5mm to 32mm
(approximately)
Predators
Birds, bats. frogs and fish.
and Threats
Diet Larvae eat algae. The adults do not eat.
Habitat Ponds, rivers and streams.
Lifespan
Up to one year under the water as a nymph, up to two
days as an adult.
• A mayfly spends most of its life as a nymph.
• It only lives as an adult for two days or less. During this
Interesting Facts time it must find a mate and breed.
• In many species, the adult mayfly does not have a
mouth.
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Name Millipede
Size
2cm - 6cm
(approximately)
Predators
Birds, badgers, rats and shrews.
and Threats
Diet Decaying wood and vegetation.
Habitat Woodlands, hedgerows and gardens.
Lifespan 1-10 years.
• Millipedes are only born with a few pairs of legs.
• Each time they moult (shed their skin) they gain more
body segments and legs.
Interesting Facts • Although millipede means 1000 legs, none have that
many!
• One species has up to 750 legs, the most of any
animal in the world.
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Name Mite
Size
0.3mm
(approximately)
Predators
Larger mites.
and Threats
Diet Pollen, skin, bacteria and their own dung.
Habitat Houses.
Lifespan 10-12 weeks.
• Many people are allergic to House Dust Mite
droppings. The droppings are microscopic and hang in
the air.
Interesting Facts
• A house dust mite eats its own droppings. It may eat
them up to 3 times over, by eating them, then excreting
them and eating them again.
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Name Moth
Size
0.6-30cm
(approximately)
Predators
Birds, bats, lizards, spiders.
and Threats
Diet Nectar, fruit and natural fabrics.
Habitat Gardens, fields, forests.
Lifespan 40 days .
• A male Giant Silkworm Moth can smell a female more
than seven miles away.
Interesting Facts
• They use their antennae to detect odour molecules,
instead of having nostrils.
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Name Mussel
Size
5-10cm
(approximately)
Predators
Fish, whelks, other sea creatures and humans.
and Threats
Diet Bacteria and plankton.
Habitat Coastal waters.
Lifespan 2-3 years.
• Mussels live together in large mussel beds.
• They are bonded together by threads of a substance
called byssus, also known as beards.
Interesting Facts • If a mussel is attacked by a whelk, it can sometimes
use the byssus to bind the whelk to its shell.
• Although the whelk eats the mussel, it then starves to
death because it is stuck to the empty shell.
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Name Octopus
Size
30-92cm
(approximately)
Predators
Sharks and large fish.
and Threats
Diet Fish and crustaceans.
Habitat Oceans.
Lifespan 1-2 years.
• Most species of octopus use ink to get away from
predators. They spray ink into the water so that the
predator cannot see. They are then able to escape.
• They also sometimes use the ink to confuse their prey
Interesting Facts before attacking.
• Common Octopuses collect shells to build fortresses
around their lairs.
• Octopuses are considered the most intelligent
invertebrates.
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Name Prawn
Size
37-174mm
(approximately)
Predators Birds, crustaceans, fish and humans. Under threat from
and Threats intensive farming.
Diet Molluscs and crustaceans.
Habitat Oceans.
Lifespan 2-3 years.
• Tiger prawns burrow into the ocean bed during the day
and come out to feed at night.
Interesting Facts • Although they are nocturnal, they can also see well in
daylight, because their eye stalks can change to adapt
to the light conditions.
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Name Scorpion
Size
3-25cm
(approximately)
Predators
Snakes, lizards, rodents and birds.
and Threats
Diet Insects.
Habitat Soil.
Lifespan 3-8 years.
• There are over 1200 species of scorpion, but only
about 40 have strong enough poison to kill a human.
• When food is scarce, scorpions can slow their
metabolism so that they use less oxygen and do not
Interesting Facts
need so much food.
• Scorpions can survive being frozen overnight.
• They do not drink, they get all the water they need
from their prey.
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Name Sea Anemone
Size
1.25cm to 1.8m
(approximately)
Predators
Snails, Sea Slugs, fish and Sea Turtles
and Threats
Diet Fish and crustaceans.
Habitat Oceans.
Lifespan 60-80 years.
• There are 6500 different species of Sea Anemone.
• Some species live with Clownfish.
Interesting Facts • The Clownfish is protected from predators by the Sea
Anemone's sting, and the Clownfish chases away
predators that might want to eat the Sea Anemone.
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Name Sea Urchin
Size
3-10cm
(approximately)
Predators Crabs, snails, sea birds and other sea creatures. Under
and Threats threat from changes in sea temperature
Diet Sea plants and dead animal matter.
Habitat Oceans.
Lifespan 15-200 years.
• The Red Sea Urchin is one of the longest living
creatures on earth and can live up to 200 years.
• Sea Urchins are sometimes called the ‘hedgehog of
Interesting Facts the sea’ because of their spines.
• Some Sea Urchins can use their feet to pick up small
objects from the ocean floor and cover their bodies so
that they can hide from predators.
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Name Shrimp
Size
30-85mm
(approximately)
Predators
Cod, other fish and humans.
and Threats
Diet Worms, molluscs and crustaceans.
Habitat Coastal waters.
Lifespan 3 years.
• Common Shrimp eggs take between 3 and 10 weeks
to develop. This depends on the temperature of the
water.
Interesting Facts • They swim backwards by flexing their abdomen and
tail.
• They can change the brightness of their colouring to
blend in with their surroundings.
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Name Slug
Size
Up to 45mm
(approximately)
Predators
Frogs, toads, birds, and other garden creatures.
and Threats
Diet Garden plants.
Habitat Forest, fields and gardens.
Lifespan Up to 6 years.
• A slug has green blood.
• A cubic metre of garden will on average contain up to
200 slugs.
Interesting Facts
• Slugs can stretch up to 20 times their normal length so
that they can squeeze through small openings to get to
food.
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Name Snail
Size
25-40mm
(approximately)
Predators
Birds, hedgehogs, mice, toads and centipedes.
and Threats
Diet Rotting plant material and plants.
Habitat Parks, gardens and forest.
Lifespan Up to 5 years.
• The largest land snail is the Ghana Tiger Snail which
can grow up to 30cm long.
Interesting Facts • Most snails have thousands of microscopic teeth on a
tongue-like structure called a radula. This scrapes or
tears food.
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Name Spider
Size
10-18mm
(approximately)
Predators
Birds, bats, small rodents.
and Threats
Diet Flies, beetles, earwigs and cockroaches.
Habitat Houses and garden sheds.
Lifespan Males a few months, Females 1-2 years.
• House spiders can survive for months without food or
water.
• If you find a spider in your bath, it is most likely a male
Interesting Facts
who fell in while looking for a female and can't get out.
• Most House spider species were originally imported
into the UK from the Mediterranean in ships’ cargo.
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Name Squid
Size
60cm
(approximately)
Predators
Whales, sea creatures, birds and humans.
and Threats
Diet Small fish, crabs and shrimp.
Habitat Oceans.
Lifespan About a year.
• Although most species of squid only grow to about
60cm, Giant Squid are the largest invertebrates on earth
Interesting Facts
and can grow up to 13 metres long.
• A Giant Squid's eye can be as big as a beach ball.
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Name Starfish
Size
12-24cm
(approximately)
Predators
Manta Rays, sharks and other large fish.
and Threats
Diet Shellfish.
Habitat Oceans.
Lifespan Up to 35 years.
• Starfish can regrow damaged arms or shed arms as
means of defence.
• Starfish do not have any blood, instead they pump
Interesting Facts
nutrients around their bodies in seawater!
• Starfish have an eye spot on the end of each arm,
which can sense light and dark.
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Name Tarantula
Size
Body 12cm, Leg up to 28cm
(approximately)
Peptic wasps (The wasps lay eggs in the spider's body.
Predators
The larvae then eat the still living tarantula from the
and Threats
inside).
Diet Insects.
Habitat Warm environments, such as rain-forest and desert.
Lifespan Up to 30 years.
• A tarantula does not spin webs like other spiders, but it
may spin a trip wire to let it know when something
comes near its burrow.
Interesting Facts • It injects its prey with paralysing venom.
• It secretes an enzyme that turns the body of the prey
to liquid so that the tarantula can suck it up with its
straw-like mouth.
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Name Tick
Size
10-30mm
(approximately)
Predators
Birds.
and Threats
Diet The blood of mammals, birds and reptiles.
Habitat Fields, woods and houses.
Lifespan Up to 3 years.
• Ticks are parasites and have to feed on another
animal, called a host.
• They become engorged (swell up) with blood when
Interesting Facts
they feed.
• They are also disease vectors, which means that they
carry disease from one animal to another.
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Name Wasp
Size
Workers 12-17mm Queen 2cm
(approximately)
Predators
Dragonflies, birds, badgers and other small mammals.
and Threats
Diet Nectar, sweet fruit, and insects.
Habitat Gardens, woodland and meadows.
Lifespan Workers 12-22 days, Queen up to a year.
• Wasps do not make their own burrows, they use one
that already exists.
Interesting Facts
• This could be an abandoned animal burrow, or a
corner of a shed or a space under a roof.
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Name Woodlice
Size
3-30mm
(approximately)
Predators
Toads, centipedes and spiders.
and Threats
Diet Rotting organic matter.
Habitat Under stones and logs and in leaf litter.
Lifespan 2 years.
• Woodlice are crustaceans, not insects, and are more
closely related to crabs than insects.
Interesting Facts • Woodlice can reproduce in two different ways. The
females can have babies without a male, this is called
parthenogenesis. They also reproduce by mating.
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